En artikel skriven av mig, Mia Sundelin och Jerry Adbo för Ecosy infor EuroPride!
LGTB-social democrats together with the collected labor movement will join Europride this year under our common slogan “We are family”. The collaboration consist of LGTB- social democrats, Social democratic students of Sweden (SSF), The Olof Palme International Center, Workers’ Educational Association (ABF), Swedish Social Democratic Youth League (SSU), National Federation of Social Democratic Women in Sweden, Christian social democrats and The Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) and its member organizations. We will all be at the same place in Pride Park and during the whole festival you are all invited to join us! In our tent you could meet and talk to politician from the parliament, municipal and county council, and also be part of different seminars, relax with a cup of coffee or be part of any of our competitions. Among the visitors we will have in our tent is one of them Mona Sahlin, the chairwoman of the Swedish social democratic party.
Why are the labor movement present at Europride and the pride festival?
The work with LGTB-questions in Sweden has been ongoing for approximately ten years. In a socialistic movement it is a natural to fight for all human beings like value and rights, no matter the person’s age, sex, ethnicities sexual preferences and so on. It’s our common responsibility to work for an open society that is accessible for all inhabitants where no one get discriminated or gets special treatments in a negative way.
To be part of Europride is an equitable international action. By arranging a pride festival and to March in the parade are we all showing our solidarity with fellow beings in other parts of the world. It’s still forbidden to be homo- or bisexual in 70 countries around our globe. The punishment for being so is varying between death penalty to physical abuse in public that often leads to death due to the injuries that the human body gets. It’s also forbidden to arrange pride festivals around the world. In Poland and the Baltic countries have there been attempts to carry out pride parades and it has been done even if the police hasn’t been giving protection to the inhabitants that been part of the parade. The participants have been abused with negative catchphrases and chock shells, but still been carrying out the parade proud over who they are. Sweden has been a part of these parades and others around in Europe with a Swedish delegation.
Even this year there will be a section in the front of the parade marching for those who can’t. It’s a very strong symbolic action and the participants will have black tape over the mouth to symbolize that there are people in the world that don’t have the fundamental democratic rights such as freedom to express their opinions and also the right to demonstrate.
The right to our own sexuality, identity and equality is in focus in the labor movements’ participation in Europride 2008! This right is not only for Swedes but a question for the whole world. We must organize and mobilize our powers around the globe to press down the dark dominant powers that have been able to rule for a too long time. It’s time for an end of those. We have to identify ourselves with each other because “We Are Family”!
Emil Adén, Board member Social democratic students of Sweden (SSF) with responsibility for LGTB rights
Mia Sundelin, Chairwoman of LGTB-social democrats (HBT(S))
Jerry Adbo, Vice Chairman of LGTB-social democrats (HBT(S))
